United News of Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Army has taken steps to provide urgent medical services to students injured during the anti-discrimination movement led by students. According to ISPR, students who were injured during 'anti-discrimination student movement' or receiving treatment are requested to contact the following numbers of the nearest CMH across the country for receiving emergency treatment (financial assistance if necessary). The number for (Barishal Area-01769072072, 01769072058), (Savar Area- 01769092070, 01769092058), (Cox's Bazar Area- 01769102070, 01769102058), (Bogra Area-01769112070, 01769112058), (Sylhet Area-01769172070, 01769172058), (Ghatail Area-01769192070, 01769192058), (Chattogram Area-01769242072, 01769242058), (Comilla Area-01769332070, 01769332058), (Jashore Area-01769552070, 01769552058), (Rangpur area-01769662070, 01769662058).

In light of the continued absence of numerous Union Parishad chairman across the country, the Local Government Division has issued a directive allowing Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to delegate financial and administrative powers to the respective Union Parishad's Panel Chairman to ensure uninterrupted public services. In cases where the Panel Chairman is also absent or if any complications arise, the DC has been authorized to transfer these powers to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) or Assistant Commissioner (Land) within their jurisdiction to maintain the continuity of public services. The directive was issued on Monday, August 19, by the Local Government Division. The notification stated that it has been observed recently that several Union Parishad chairmen are consistently absent from their workplaces, disrupting public services and general operations of the Union Parishads. To address these issues, the following orders have been issued: 1. To manage the duties of the absent chairmen and maintain public services, under Sections 33, 101, and 102 of the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act, 2009, the DC is empowered to delegate financial and administrative authority to the respective Union Parishad's Panel Chairman. 2. In the absence of the Panel Chairman or in the event of any other complications, the DC, under Sections 101 and 102 of the Act, can delegate financial and administrative authority to subordinate officials, such as the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) or Assistant Commissioner (Land), to ensure the Union Parishads remain operational and public services continue uninterrupted.

Haileybury Bhaluka, part of UK’s private co-educational boarding school, has welcomed its first batch of students amidst a plethora of world-standard teaching facilities. This milestone marks a significant moment for the institution and the community, setting the stage for a new era of educational excellence in the Asian region. Haileybury Bhaluka’s founding headmaster, Simon O’Grady, said on the first day of class, “This is a historic moment for us, and we are committed to providing an exceptional educational experience that prepares our students for future success.” “Our dedicated team of educators is excited to support each student’s journey and to foster a culture of curiosity and innovation. The main aim of the school is to develop students to be the best in the Asian region through well-being and globalism.” Haileybury Bhaluka, known for its commitment to innovative and transformative education for girls and boys, has opened its doors to a diverse group of eager learners ready to embark on their academic journey, said a media release. The institution's state-of-the-art facilities, modern curriculum, and Harvard-trained faculty are poised to provide a nurturing and dynamic learning environment.

The Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DB) arrested former Social Welfare Minister Dipu Moni from the capital's Baridhara DOHS area on Monday. A senior officer of The DMP's Detective Branch (DB), requesting anonymity, said that they arrested Dipu Moni this evening. According DMP media center, She has been arrested in connection with a murder case filed at Mohammadpur Police Station. A was filed against the former minister and her brother Dr. J.R. Wadud Tipu for attacking the residence of Sheikh Farid Ahmed Manik, president of the Chandpur District unit BNP on August 15. Besides, 510 known and 1000-1200 unnamed people have been accused in the case.

The High Court has ordered private television channel Somoy TV to suspend its broadcast for seven days, following a preliminary hearing of a writ petition. The directive was issued to the Chairman of Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited on Monday by a High Court bench comprised of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Shashanka Shekhar Sarkar. The writ petition was filed by Shampa Rahman, the newly appointed Managing Director of Somoy Media Limited, seeking to ensure that the TV channel could operate without external influence or coercion. Senior lawyer Ahsanul Karim, representing the petitioner, explained that the writ was filed to protect the channel’s editorial independence. Following the issuance of the rule, the court ordered Somoy TV to halt its broadcast for seven days. The court has directed the Information and Broadcasting Secretary, the Chairman of BTRC, the Chairman of Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited, and Ahmed Zubair to respond to the rule within four weeks. This legal action follows a recent board meeting of Somoy Media Limited on August 10, during which Ahmed Zubair was relieved of his duties as Managing Director and CEO. In the same meeting, Shampa Rahman, a director of the company, was appointed as the new Managing Director.

The state-owned Power Development Board (BPDB) will prepare a position paper on the financial and economic condition of the organisation within a week. “The BPDB has been asked to prepare a state of its financial and economic conditions within the next 7 days...The instruction came in line with the directive of the newly appointed adviser of the interim government,” a top official of the organisation told UNB. Dr M Fouzul Kabir Khan, a former secretary of the Power Division who served the government from 2007 to 2009, has been appointed adviser of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges and the Ministry of Railway. Officials said the new directive came from the maiden meeting of the adviser with the top officials of the Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and their subordinate bodies on Sunday. Following the meeting, the new adviser said he would take decisions after analysing the position paper. The country’s power and energy sector has been passing a critical juncture where the BPDB has been incurring a loss of over Tk 45,000 crore annually in buying electricity at higher cost while its pending outstanding bills with private companies is Tk 45,000 crore. It also has an annual burden of a whopping Tk 37,093 crore in capacity charge payments under the contracts with private power producers. Energy experts, economists and officials of BPDB are worried over the current financial condition of the BPDB and put forward their suggestions to bring some reforms in the state-owned entities. Taking into cognizance the new adviser already took two major decisions—crapping of the Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special) Act 2010 and also the amendments to the BERC Act 2003. Many energy experts and economists identified Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special) Act 2010 as the main source of corruption for which the power and energy sector has been over burdened with huge financial losses. They also blamed the fallen Awami League government for looting the state-wealth through using the Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special) Act 2010 under which the government can award any contract or project to any company without any tender. Centre for Policy Dialogue’s research director and economist Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem said the interim government should first focus on bringing a major reform in the country’s power and energy sector. “As part of the reform, it has to scrap first the Speedy Supply of Power and Energy Special Act 2010 to remove all discrimination and ensure transparency and competition in the procurement process,” Dr Moazzem said. He said the next step should be renegotiation with the private power producers to re-fix their tariffs, especially with those companies where the government has long term power purchase agreements and has passed a critical minimum period. Energy experts, stakeholders urge the interim government to restore BERC's authority over power and energy pricing by scrapping a recent amendment to the BERC Act 2003.

Speakers have highlighted the need to ensure the safety and security of aid workers and vulnerable communities in Bangladesh, especially in the Rohingya response. They also called for reducing management costs as aid decreases and criticized the World Bank’s recent $700 million loan pledge for the Rohingya and host community response. They were speaking at a virtual event, titled "Act for Humanity—Leave No One Behind," organized by COAST Foundation, Cox’s Bazar CSO-NGO Forum (CCNF), and BDCSO Coordination Process, in collaboration with the Alliance for Empowering Partnership (A4EP), to mark World Humanitarian Day. They argued that loans in humanitarian efforts are unethical and set a bad global precedent. The event was presided over by Shireen Huq of Naripokkho and moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Executive Director of COAST Foundation. Keynote presentation was delivered by Md. Iqbal Uddin of COAST. Distinguished participants included Mirela Shuteriqi from ICVA, Switzerland; Gawher Nayeem Wahra from Disaster Forum, Bangladesh; Nanette S. Antequisa, Chairperson of A4EP and Executive Director of ECOWEB, Philippines; Palwashay Arbab from Community World Service Asia; Sudhanshu S. Singh, Executive Director of Humanitarian Aid International, India; Dr. Md. Shahid Uz Zaman, chairperson of Start Fund Bangladesh; Rafiqul Islam from Rupantor in Khulna; Fazlul Kader Chowdhury from Green Cox in Cox's Bazar; Marianna Narhi, from NGO Platform, Coxs Bazar. AHM Bazlur Rahman, CEO, BNNRC, Dhaka.  In his keynote, Md. Iqbal Uddin expressed concern that aid workers often become victims in conflict zones instead of being recognized as heroes while Mirela Shuteriqi stressed the need to protect civilians, aid workers, and humanitarian premises.  

Planning and Education Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud emphasized on Monday that generating more employment is now a higher priority for the interim government than simply boosting GDP growth. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Planning Ministry officials at the NEC Conference Room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, he highlighted the need for a shift in focus to stabilize the economy and create jobs. “Our priority is now to generate more employment and stabilize the economy,” Wahiduddin said, noting that while GDP growth is important, it is not sufficient on its own. “The focus on GDP alone has overlooked the qualitative standards that are crucial for sustainable development,” he added. He criticized the previous government’s approach to development projects, pointing out that many were initiated without adequately considering the financial liabilities, whether funded locally or from foreign sources. “Some projects were undertaken without proper prioritization and were influenced by vested interests,” he said. Widespread irregularities in development projects, says Planning Adviser; calls for urgent scrutiny The adviser stressed the importance of reallocating funds from unnecessary expenses in development projects to areas that can generate more employment. “To me, it’s much more important to generate employment than to increase GDP growth. However, these two are interconnected,” he explained. Wahiduddin also indicated that ongoing and early-stage projects would be re-evaluated to ensure they align with current priorities. He underscored the importance of human resource development, stating that infrastructure alone cannot drive prosperity. “Human resources development is essential—without it, infrastructures are just skeletons,” he remarked. As the adviser to both the planning and education ministries, he expressed confidence in his ability to integrate human resource development with the country’s broader economic planning. When asked about the future of mega projects, Wahiduddin noted that the government would not adhere to a single policy but would focus on preventing delays and cost overruns that have plagued many large-scale projects. “Many projects, including major ones, have had to be revised four to five times. We will have the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) prepare a report to ensure such mistakes are not repeated,” he said. Major challenge in reviving academic activities at over 40 public universities, says Adviser Wahiduddin He also addressed concerns about the credibility of data published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), including inflation, GDP, and other social indices. “I will look into whether the issues stem from a lack of skills or intentional errors,” he assured.  

Planning and Education Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud on Monday spoke of significant irregularities in ongoing development projects, stressing the urgent need for thorough scrutiny and reform. Speaking after his first meeting with Planning Ministry officials at the NEC Conference room, he emphasized that the current state of these projects is marked by “indiscipline.” “It is urgently needed to scrutinize the ongoing projects because the situation right now is highly disorganized,” the adviser said. He noted that the interim government has taken office at a time when many sectors of the country are plagued by inefficiencies, requiring immediate corrective measures. “Some decisions are needed right now,” he added, underscoring the importance of stabilizing the economy—a critical task closely linked to the Planning Commission’s role. Wahiduddin pointed out the need to reduce inflation and emphasized that controlling public expenditure is essential for avoiding a high-deficit budget. “We are considering how to reduce public expenditure, and development expenditure is the most flexible area to target in this regard,” he explained. The adviser also highlighted specific issues with large projects funded by foreign sources. “There are problems at the negotiation level, which have prevented the effective use of substantial funds from donor organizations,” he said. He mentioned that while some projects are yet to start, others are at various stages of completion, and many are linked to specific constituencies or awaiting ECNEC approval. “We must scrutinize these projects, especially those lacking clear priority or expected outcomes. We need to quickly evaluate and cut those that do not meet the necessary criteria,” he said. Regarding mega projects, Wahiduddin expressed concern over extensive irregularities in design, expenditure, and timeframes. “Some of these issues stem from a lack of skills, while others involve significant corruption by contractors,” he remarked. He also criticized the inefficient management of infrastructural projects, noting that many could have been completed at a lower cost. “Due to improper evaluation, faulty design, and repeated extensions, these projects have wasted considerable resources,” the adviser said, adding that Bangladesh is known for projects with some of the highest per-unit costs globally. The adviser questioned the motives behind certain projects initiated by various ministries, asking, “Are these projects truly beneficial for the people?” Looking ahead, he stressed the importance of improving project management to ensure that future initiatives align with the country’s macroeconomic goals. “The way we are advancing in the macroeconomic system, project management is the most important aspect,” he said, noting that the interim government has assembled a team to oversee the country’s entire economic system.    

Some unidentified miscreants attacked East West Media Group office in Dhaka’s Bashundhara Residential Area on Monday afternoon. Around 2pm, a group of people with hockey sticks forced open the main gate, entered the office and carried out vandalism, a journalist from the media group said. Miscreants broke into Radio Capital office and ransacked it. They also vandalized tables, computers, and ACs in the building. Kaler Kantho, Bangladesh Pratidin, Daily Sun, BanglaNews 24, News 24, T Sports and Capital Radio officers are located in three adjacent buildings of East West Media Group. The group also vandalized 20-25 cars parked in the office premises. Identities of the attackers could not be ascertained immediately as some of them were wearing masks, said the journalist. A senior official of Gulshan police said a group of people carried out vandalism at East West Media Group office this afternoon. However, the miscreants left the place before police could reach there. "We are trying to identify those involved in the attack," he added.